High-pressure anneal process for integrated circuits

A process for annealing an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having metal alloy conductor lines having a melting point, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• pressurizing the chamber with a gas including hydrogen to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• and
• elevating a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature no greater than eighty percent of the melting point of the metal alloy conductor lines for a period to anneal at least a portion of one metal alloy conductor line of the metal alloy conductor lines.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having metal alloy conductor lines including aluminum, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• introducing a gas including diatomic hydrogen into the chamber, said gas having a partial pressure of diatomic hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• pressurizing the chamber to greater than ambient atmospheric pressure;
• and
• elevating a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature within a range of 350° C. to 450° C.

A process for annealing a wafer, said wafer containing a plurality of integrated circuits, said plurality of integrated circuits having metallized conductor lines having a melting point, said process comprising:

• placing the wafer within a chamber;
• pressurizing the chamber with a gas including hydrogen to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• and
• elevating a temperature of the wafer to a temperature of no more than eighty percent of the melting point of the metallized conductor lines.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit having a metal alloy conductor line forming a portion thereof, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• introducing a gas including hydrogen into the chamber, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• pressurizing the chamber to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure using the gas;
• and
• raising a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature within a range of about 300° C. to 500° C.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having metal alloy conductor lines having a melting point, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• pressurizing the chamber with a gas including hydrogen to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• and
• raising a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature no greater than eighty percent of the melting point of the metal alloy conductor lines for a period to anneal at least a portion of one metal alloy conductor line of the metal alloy conductor lines.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having metal alloy conductor lines including aluminum, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• introducing a gas including diatomic hydrogen into the chamber, said gas having a partial pressure of diatomic hydrogen within the gas falls in a range at least greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• pressurizing the chamber to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure;
• and
• raising a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature within a range of 350° C. to 450° C.

A process for annealing a wafer, said wafer containing a plurality of integrated circuits, said plurality of integrated circuits having metallized conductor lines having a melting point, said process comprising:

• placing the wafer within a chamber;
• pressurizing the chamber with a gas including hydrogen to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• and
• raising a temperature of the wafer to a temperature of no more than eighty percent of the melting point of the metallized conductor lines.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit having metal alloy circuit lines forming a portion thereof, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• introducing a gas including hydrogen into the chamber, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• pressurizing the chamber to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure using the gas;
• and
• increasing a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature within a range of about 300° C. to 500° C., said range no greater than eighty percent of a melting point of the metal alloy circuit lines.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having metal alloy conductor lines having a melting point, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• pressurizing the chamber with a gas including hydrogen to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• and
• increasing a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature no greater than eighty percent of the melting point of the metal alloy conductor lines for a period to anneal at least a portion of one metal alloy conductor line of the metal alloy conductor lines.

A process for annealing an integrated circuit, said integrated circuit having metal alloy conductor lines including aluminum, said process comprising:

• placing the integrated circuit within a chamber;
• introducing a gas including diatomic hydrogen into the chamber, said gas having a partial pressure of diatomic hydrogen greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• pressurizing the chamber to a pressure greater than ambient atmospheric pressure;
• and
• increasing a temperature of the integrated circuit to a temperature within a range of 350° C. to 450° C.

A process for annealing a wafer, said wafer containing a plurality of integrated circuits, said plurality of integrated circuits having metallized conductor lines having a melting point, said process comprising:

• placing the wafer within a chamber;
• pressurizing the chamber with a gas including hydrogen to a pressure greater than atmospheric pressure, said gas having a partial pressure of hydrogen within the gas greater than 25 percent of gas pressure;
• and
• increasing a temperature of the wafer to a temperature of no more than eighty percent of the melting point of the metallized conductor lines.